The Ribbon
by shadowangel26
Summary: Harry and Draco are in love. But after the incident in HBP, Draco was forced to leave Hogwarts. When he is finally captured again and taken back to the school, can Harry think quick enough to save Draco from certain death? And what about Professor Snape?
1. Chapter 1

**The Ribbon**

Standard Disclaimers Apply

**Prologue**

As Harry Potter lay in bed, his thoughts whirled as he started up at the ceiling. He realized that he wasn't the post-pubescent boy he used to be, he had grown up into a very defined young man. With this new look came new feelings, and one of them troubled him more than any emotion he had ever felt: love.

Harry had not been known to be the biggest crusher, but he was known for crushing on the strangest people, and now it was no different. Well, actually, it was totally different because Harry had noticed that boys did not usually compliment each other on their looks. (After telling Ron that he "looked cute" in the hallway, Harry learned that lesson the hard way, a smack across the face.)

"Why does this have to happen to _me_?" Harry voiced his own thoughts to the pillow. "I can't be crushing on someone now, I have to leave Hogwarts soon, I don't have time to be in a serious relationship!" Harry knew that the one who he truly loved and desired with every fiber of his being was outside Hogwarts, running away from a memory…

…Tears found their way to Harry's eyes, and he let a few of them slide down his face, before he calmly wiped them away with the heel of his hand. He was almost certain of the impossibility of him actually being with his lost lover, and he knew that it would not make for good over coffee conversation once all of Diagon Ally knew of his desires. But why was he trying to hide his heart? He should've been open about it when he first noticed his feelings, but he hid it away, and now it had come back to bite him. Harry was ashamed to think of the now much deeper grave he had dug for himself over the past six years, it made him sad, and sick to his stomach. He had a forbidden love, he called it that because it was not at all typical of him, and he knew no one would accept his feelings the way they are.

"Oh Malfoy," Harry said angrily, his voice holding a pinch of sadness. "Why aren't you here to make fun of me? Or to repute my inferior breeding? Or something!" Harry now let himself cry, for he could no longer deny it. He loved Draco Malfoy, and he always would. No matter how close Draco came to being Dumbledore's murderer, Harry knew that he was not emotionally capable of such a thing. Murder did not link itself back to Draco, it didn't fit his style. He was mean, yes, but not a murderer. Harry looked up at the ceiling, and began to count the cracks in the plaster as he thought to himself. _We could've had it all!_ He thought. _We would prove everybody who thought we could never love wrong! Then they'd leave us alone, and we could be together forever, just me and Draco…Forever…_

"Harry!" Ron burst through the door, running up to Harry, who had little time to sit up and wipe the tears from his face. "Harry! You've got to come and see this! The have a whole page in the _Daily Prophet_ about it! It's unbelievable!"

"What? What is it? What happened?"

"You mean you didn't hear!" Ron hit him playfully in the head, but it still hurt. "They've found them! Well, _he_ got away, but they've still got the other one, that slimy little snake! They're holding him at Azkaban! They say he begged for mercy and everything! Boy, I would've loved to see that!" Ron laughed.

"Ron, What are you talking about?" asked Harry, bewildered. "They got who? Who escaped? Who's at Azkaban and all that?"

Ron looked his friend straight in the eye.

"Mate," Ron said, smiling. "You're not gonna believe this, but they found Malfoy and Professor Snape, I mean, they found their little villainous hideout!"

Terror struck deeply into Harry's heart.

"And…? What happened?" Harry asked, taking a deep breath and bracing himself for the news that Draco might not have survived.

"Well, Snape and his other Death Eater buddies apparated their sorry butts outta there. But Malfoy was too weak to do anything." Ron gave a sort of smile. "They said that they found him lying on the ground and he didn't even budge when they drew close to him. He let them manhandle him all the way back here."

Tears formed in Harry's mind, but he refused to let them out, not in front of Ron, he thought. "What are they gonna do to him?" Harry was having trouble breathing as he asked this question.

"Well, they aren't really sure," Ron gave a quizzical look. "I suppose they'll just kill him in the end. I mean, after all he's done, what with letting in all those Death Eaters to the school, and with Dumbledore's death…"

"That wasn't his fault!" Harry shouted abruptly, catching Ron off guard.

"Even if it wasn't," Ron shook off the shock of Harry's last comment. "He still helped in the events that led up to Dumbledore's death. I guess you could call him an accomplice or something…" Ron took his leave, and Harry waited till he couldn't hear Ron's footsteps before he screamed into his pillow.

_An accomplice!_ The thought filled Harry with rage. _Draco's innocent! They haven't got sufficient proof! He didn't mean for Greyback and the others to show up! Someone else let them in…_

Harry had only a second to think, for the sun was already setting and he would need some light source to direct him to where his lover was being held. Quickly dawning his Invisibility Cloak, Harry rushed outside the school's safe walls, and made his way to an abandoned part of the Forbidden Forest, Draco had to be there, he thought.

How was it? I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! Please SUBMIT A REVIEW! I'm expecting at least 5 (FIVE) before Chapter 1 can make an entrance!

Hope y'all enjoyed it!

ShadowAngel26


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, Chapter 1 is finally here! I was expecting more reviews…

Thanks to Scorpion29 for my first review, glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for pointing out my word usage mistake ("donning" not "dawning")

This chapter is a bit lengthier, I think, so enjoy! **AND REVIEW!**

Shadow Angel26

This Chapter, and all of Professor Snape's insults are dedicated to Scorpion29, thanks for listening to my random ramble, and for your great advice. **¡Te Adoro!**

Chapter Two

Draco Malfoy lay useless in the Forbidden Forest, thinking of every possible reason to hate himself. Ever since he started hanging with Voldemort's entourage, everything had gone wrong…

_The group of Death Eaters gathered around the boiling pot. The contents bubbling within were rank with the stench of blood, and a few other ingredients that made Draco's stomach churn._

_"What is that stuff?" He asked hoarsely. The lumpy Death Eater Amicus turned to face him._

_"Breakfast!" He grinned, and Draco gagged at the smell of his rancid breath. "And Lunch, and Dinner!" Amicus let out a dry cackle, the others soon joined in._

_"Your jokes make me want to vomit more than this food does," Snape growled. "Spare me your pitiful buffoonery and just pass the bowls around. I want to leave this place as soon as possible."_

_"Severus, you seem to forget that we have already traveled ten miles--on foot no less,--and you expect us to just get up and go as soon as you will it?" The Death Eater, Alecto growled at Snape as she rubbed her sore feet. "Who died and made you Grand Exalted Ruler of the World?"_

_"I do only as the Dark Lord wills me to do!" Snape bellowed, his eyes piercing Alecto's defenses, causing her to back away, slowly. "I expect all of you to stop your incessant allocutions and follow my orders!--Unless you would rather bring your quarrel to the Dark Lord Himself!" Alecto frowned, but nonetheless held her tongue._

_As the bowls of horrific smelling soup were being passed around, Snape offered Draco bread and water as a substitution to his portion of slop. Gratefully, Draco accepted as Snape guzzled down his portion, and made the rest fight over Draco's._

_Draco's insides were as weak and pathetic as Amicus' jokes, and he felt the need to lie down. As he did, a strange presence filled him. Alecto let out a shriek of terror as figures clad in purple robes approached._

"_Nyah! They're after us! They must've tracked us somehow!" Amicus scrambled to his feet as the figures approaching drew their wands. The other Death Eaters jumped up faster than they had ever done, but Draco found himself unable to move…_

"_Draco!" Snape grabbed his arm and tried to pull him up, but it was like he was anchored to the ground. "Draco, I promised your mother that I would protect you! We have to move now!"_

_The figures moved closer…_

"_Draco!" Snape bellowed, still struggling to pull him off the ground. "I need you to move! I promised---NO!" Alecto had grabbed Snape by his arm and was dragging him towards the rest of the group, who were huddled in a large circle._

"_Get your filthy hands off me, woman! I need to--!"_

"_Draco can take care of himself!" Alecto gasped as Snape lashed out, his fist barely missing her face. "This is a lesson in survival," Her eyes narrowed as she gazed upon Snape with a vengeful glare. "He will live if the Dark Lord wills him to be!"_

"_Don't give me that spiel you!" Snape lashed out again._

"_Severus! Your love for the boy has clouded your judgment!" One of the others shouted. Snape screamed and slapped the man hard on the face. He then tried to return to Draco's side, but Alecto saw that coming, and in an instant, all Death Eaters were gone._

_Draco felt his insides twitch with fear as the robed figures came closer to him. Although he could not see their faces through their hoods, he could hear the voice of one of them uttering a spell. As Draco listened to the words trailing out in a haunting stream of speech, he felt darkness reach out to him, and he gave in to it completely._

Draco moaned as his senses returned to his body, the daunting darkness of the forest coming into full view. His gut gave a terrible wrench as he remembered what he had left behind the walls of Hogwarts. The one person who turned his life around, even though he had always known that it was too late…

"Potter…" Draco muttered weakly. A picture of Harry formed vividly in his mind. He almost thought he could hear Harry's voice, smell his unique scent, and feel Harry's heart beat, sending chills coursing through his body.

"_Draco, you'll never guess who is crushing on you!" A Slytherin cackled as Draco entered the commonroom. "A little someone named Harry Potter!"_

"_You're bluffing." Draco retorted._

"_Well, I saw him staring at you during Potions class, and I know a glance-at-the-pants when I see one._

_Later that day, Draco caught Harry writing a poem._

"_My true love is the one I want to be with," Harry said. "And his name is…"_

"_Potter?" Draco startled Harry, who clutched his poem close to him._

"_Malfoy! Wha-What are you doing here!" _

_Draco took Harry by the waist, pulling him closer, and kissed him._

"_Malfoy!" Harry growled._

"_Admit it Potter," Draco sneered. "You enjoyed it."_

"_No! I didn't!" Draco started to walk away, but Harry grabbed his arm. "I—I loved it…" Draco and Harry pulled each other into a warm embrace, and stayed there for hours._

Draco felt darkness reaching out for him, and he began to lay his head down.

"I'm dying," he whispered. "I'm going to lay down and die. Harry….help me…"

At that moment, an invisibility cloak was flung back to reveal Draco's love. Harry's eyes were stricken with panic and sadness, but Draco could only take in their depth for a brief moment before the darkness took him.

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Well, I hope you all enjoyed it. PLEASE REVIEW!

Thanks again to Scorpion29 for my first (and only,) review!

ShadowAngel26


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